The World Summit on U.S.-bashing, er, Information Society begins today in Tunisia with EU Commissioner Viviane Reding setting forth the main purpose:

"I hope that Tunis will mark an important step forward in the Internet's long evolution away from government control and toward truly international governance."

In other words, WSIS will attempt to wrest governance of the Internet away from ICANN and the U.S. and toward "international governance," meaning the U.N..

Adam Thierer and Wayne Crews had a great Wall Street Journal op-ed on the topic. Furthermore, in the strange bedfellows category, the issue of keeping the Internet and its open ethos out of the UN's hands unites both right- and left-leaning organizations.

ICANN is far from a perfect creature, but handing the Internet over to a multi-lateral, international body is a sure way to dampen innovation, kill openness and slow progress. Then again, that is often what the EU seems to be about...